Definition of Essential Oils

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential Oils are highly concentrated and potent oils extracted from plants, leaves, flowers, roots, buds, twigs, rhizomes, heartwood, bark, resin, seeds and fruits. Essential Oils are found in special secretory glands or cells within plant life. The aromatic substances are formed and stored in certain organs of a plant as a by-product or because of its metabolism. Each essential oil has it's very own blueprint that is absolutely unique. The combination of the plants blueprints, the energy of the sun, soil, air and water gives each oil its individual perfume and beneficial healing properties. The same species of plant can produce an essential oil with different properties depending on whether it was grown in dry or damp earth, at high or low altitude, or even in hot or cold climates. According to the International Organization for Standardization, essential oils are a "product made by distillation with either water or steam or by mechanical processing of citrus rinds or by dry distillation of natural materials. Following the distillation, the essential oil is physically separated from the water phase."

Unlike vegetable oils expressed from nuts and seeds, essential oils are not actually oily. Some essential oils are viscous; others are fairly solid and most are somewhat watery. Worldwide there are 3000 different essential oils with only about 300 commonly used. Essential oils are the most concentrated form of any botanical. It takes at least one pound of any given plant to create one drop of essential oil. Essential oils provide a concentrated dose of nature's vast pharmacological active ingredients in a single drop of oil. One hundred percent pure unadulterated essential oils are distinguished by a remarkable diversity of substances that only nature could produce.

Therapeutic Grade

Therapeutic Grade means the essential oil delivers as many of the fragile and original aromatic compound as possible. This starts with choosing the right species of plants, and giving them exactly what they need to thrive, including uncontaminated soil. Also, to guarantee the quality of essential oils, they must be produced equal or to exceed the ISO (International Standards Organization) standards.

Absolute

Similar to essential oils, absolutes are concentrated, highly-aromatic, oily mixtures extracted from plants. Whereas essential oils can typically be produced through steam distillation, absolutes require the use of solvent extraction. Absolutes have a closer aroma to the actual plant, and are more popular in the perfumery industry.

Organic

The term "organic" is often used to describe a particular method of growing plants. Although the term has become familiar, and certainly very popular, most people only have a vague idea of its meaning and range. Organic farming can briefly be described as using methods of crop, natural systems, sustain and build soil fertility, minimize pollution and damage to the environment. The use of agrochemical pesticides, weed killers, synthetic fertilizer and ionization for extending the products shelf life is prohibited. Organic farming pursues a number of aims such as the production of quality agricultural products which contain no chemical residues, do not pollute the soil and groundwater with pesticides and make full use of natural, local and renewable resources. During the last few years a dedicated team has been created to produce novel, high-quality, organically grown medicinal and aromatic plants for the production of essential oils. Many scientists have relocated to the farms where the farmers have provided space in redundant buildings for elaborate equipment to measure and monitor their essential oils they produce (via Gas Chromatography, GC).

10% Essential Oils

10% essential oils versus pure (100%) essential oils - This means that in any given bottle size, you would get 10% of the essential oil and 90% Organic Jojoba carrier oil. Almost all of the essential oils needs to be mixed with carrier oils, such as Sweet Almond or Jojoba oil. Some people prefer to buy them already mixed. This would be at a great savings if your blend recipe permits it.